After Bats, new data links Raccoon Dogs to Covid pandemic origin

Covid cases have been increasing across the country with Karnataka reporting 613 active cases while Kerala has 2,090 active cases New Delhi: India reported 1,249 new covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours with daily positivity rate at 1.19%, the union health ministry said on Friday. The country has recorded more than 44.8 million covid cases and 530,818 deaths so far. Covid cases have been increasing across the country with Karnataka reporting 613 active cases while Kerala has 2,090 active cases.

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - A sexual act in the bedroom left one woman dead and her boyfriend was charged with her death.On Tuesday, Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the 800 block of Ashland Boulevard for an unknown medical emergency around 2:20 a.m.SUGGESTED: Bond lowered for Joseph Harrell, suspect charged in Houston robbery that left woman paralyzedWhen they arrived, they found a woman, 24-year-old DeJe Garrett-Hillard, lying unresponsive. She was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.Jaaron Thomas MORE STORIES OUT OF HARRIS COUNTYOfficials say they spoke with the boyfriend, Jaaron Thomas, 27, who told them he and the woman were engaged in a sexual act called "erotic asphyxiation" when she went unresponsive.After an investigation, Thomas was arrested and charged with Manslaughter in her death.

A Creetown man is calling for better support for people suffering from long Covid.

New evidence that raccoon dogs were at the Chinese market where Covid is suspected to have first infected humans has reignited debate over the origin of the pandemic.

Ajay Banga's New Delhi visit on 23-24 March is the final stop on his three-week global tour that began in Africa before progressing to Europe, Latin America and Asia. World Bank presidential nominee Ajay Banga has tested positive for COVID-19 during a routine testing in New Delhi. Banga was travelling on the last leg of his world tour, and is currently quarantining in isolation, the Department of Treasury said on Thursday.

Baton Rouge Police are searching for Tabbetha Barner and Tiffany Ann Guidry in the death of Nathan Millard. (Baton Rouge Police Department)BATON ROUGE, Ga. - Investigators are searching for two known prostitutes in connection to the death of 42-year-old Georgia father of five, Nathan Millard.Tabbetha Barner and Tiffany Ann Guidry are being sought by the Baton Rouge Police Department. Barner is wanted for prostitution and failure to seek assistance.

SAN FRANCISCO - A body found at Pier 39 in San Francisco late Wednesday has been identified by the medical examiner as popular radio host Jeffrey Vandergrift, 55. He was known to his fans at Wild 94.9 as "JV" and was the host of his own radio show, called The JV Show. He built a powerhouse morning show and shared with his audience his personal health struggles dating back to 2021. He was eventually diagnosed with Lyme disease.He had spoken publicly about the effects the disease has had on his body, suffering continued ailments like "brain fog," dizziness, migraines and blurred vision.MORE: Jeffery Vandergrift missing: timeline of search for Wild 94.9's 'JV'He was last seen on Feb.

PHILADELPHIA - The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is sounding the alarm on a growing number of antisemitic acts across the country, including states in the northeast with large Jewish communities.During a Thursday Zoom call, ADL leaders said antisemitic acts of intimidation, harassment, vandalism and assault are at an all-time high since the organization began keeping track in 1979. "Attitudes are up to a 30-year-high and incidents are up to the highest we've ever seen them – it's a toxic combination," an ADL spokesperson said. ADL data showed New Jersey was the state with the third most antisemitic incidents last year, tallying more than 400. The breakdown includes 250 incidents of harassment and 150 acts of vandalism.MORE LOCAL HEADLINESApproximately 120 incidents took place in non-Jewish K-12 school in New Jersey, according to the data. In Philadelphia, there have been attacks on Jewish cemeteries and synagogues, as well as mosques and churches.

ATHENS, Ga. - A decades-long investigation into the stabbing death of a baby boy found inside a trash can at a University of Georgia residence hall has finally come to a close.On Jan. 8, 1996, police say a custodian discovered the body of a newborn boy and placenta in the first-floor bathroom of Oglethorpe House dormitory.

TikTok’s parent company ByteDance collects data on people who don’t even use the app, and those same trackers are showing up on government websites that banned TikTok from their networks, a new report found.In a review of more than 3,500 company, organization and government websites, Canada-based Feroot Security found ByteDance tracking pixels on 30 state government websites in the U.S. Some of those trackers were found in states that don’t allow TikTok on government networks or devices.The report was "eye-opening," Feroot Security CEO Ivan Tsarynny said, and shed new light on the "wild, wild West" of pixel tracking – or computer code that collects information on how a user interacts with a website.READ MORE: Skeptical US lawmakers grill TikTok CEO over safety concernsPixel trackers are used by lots of companies and "have legitimate business reasons," Tsarynny explained, but questions over how ByteDance collects and shares information – and who the company shares it with – have been plaguing the social media giant for months.In this photo illustration, the TikTok app is displayed on an Apple iPhone on August 7, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Thailand was convinced by his friends to try bungee jumping. That decision led to a near-death experience as the bungee cord snapped during the descent.Thankfully, the man took the plunge over a body of water.The tourist, a 39-year-old from Hong Kong who was identified only as “Mike,” was visiting the Changthai Thappraya Safari and Adventure Park in January when the terrifying accident occurred.

The suspect is also dead. Police said they believe he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while his mother was hospitalized after being injured in what police believe was a struggle with her son that began after the shots were first fired.

FILE - The Twitter Inc. logo is seen on a phone screen.

Crystal and Brian Clark hope they can save a life by sharing their own heartbreaking story of losing their children from a falling tree accident. (Crystal Clark) An Indiana mother and father are alerting people about an overlooked danger after the tragic loss of their two young children last year.On April 23, 2022, Crystal and Brian Clark, along with their son Xander, 9 and daughter, Ziva, 8, went out to Indian Oaks, a nearby campground that the family frequently visited.It had been fairly windy that day but the sun was shining, Crystal Clark told Fox News Digital."I decided after [lunch] we should go for a golf cart ride because it was a beautiful day," Crystal Clark added.After seeing some friends go for a ride, the Clarks decided to do the same and meet up at their favorite fishing spot."Ziva was taking their fish off [the line] 'cause that was one of her favorites things to do, and then she'd kiss it and then she'd toss it back in the water," said Crystal Clark."She loved everything," she added. "She loved every animal, fish or not."Xander was very excited to go fishing that day, but the family decided to instead go for one more ride on the golf cart, with the parents in the front and the kids in the back, before settling down to fish."The trails are always open.

NEW YORK - Manhattan District Attorney (DA) Alvin Bragg responded to several leading House Republicans’ requests for information on the probe into former President Trump, saying the former president "created a false expectation" of his potential arrest.Bragg’s general counsel sent a five-page letter to GOP House committee chairmen Jim Jordan of Ohio, Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, and James Comer of Kentucky regarding their request for documents and testimony in the Trump investigation.Bragg's office is investigating whether Trump was involved in paying hush money to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. The DA’s office informed the court that the grand jury, who potentially could deliver an indictment, would convene again at 12 p.m.

EUGENE, Ore. - Dramatic video captured a woman’s rescue from a hotel in Oregon last month by a grandfather who was out for his routine morning run and came across the flames. Greg Spike, 74, was running on Feb. 28 in Eugene, Oregon, when he saw smoke and flames coming from the Valley River Inn and started recording on his phone. He told local news outlets that as he got closer, he heard a woman screaming for help from her second-floor balcony. "I said, ‘Get out of there, get out of there, get out of there!’ And she said, ‘I can’t, I can’t, there’s smoke in the hallway’," Spike told KMTR-TV.Spike put down his phone and began encouraging the woman to jump, but the phone was still recording and capturing audio of the dramatic moments that followed. Spike, a grandfather of 16 kids, ran up to the bottom of the woman’s balcony, holding up his hands to her feet, and told her to jump on him so he could break her landing, KMTR-TV reported."Get out! Get out! Get out!" Spike can be heard yelling out in the video.

NEW YORK - The Manhattan grand jury investigating Donald Trump over hush money payments planned to hear testimony on other matters Thursday, seemingly further delaying a vote on whether or not to indict the former president, according to a person familiar with the matter.There was no immediate explanation for why the grand jury, which did not meet at all on Wednesday, would not take up the Trump matter during its scheduled Thursday session. It was also not clear when or if prosecutors might resume presenting evidence before the panel or when they might ask the group for a decision on bringing historic criminal charges.The panel is an investigative grand jury, meaning it hears other cases beyond the one centered on hush money payments during the 2016 campaign that were meant to silence the claims of a porn actor who said she had a sexual encounter with Trump years earlier.

The UK Government recently published the Health and Disability White Paper, which lays out proposed reforms to the benefits system. As part of its shake-up, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced plans to end the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) to encourage people who need to claim benefits back into work.

Researchers also found that patients with preexisting conditions like asthma, diabetes and even anxiety or depression were more likely to develop long-lasting Covid-19 symptoms. Those who were previously hospitalized or admitted to intensive care for Covid also were at higher risk Women, overweight people and those above age 40 are among the groups that have a greater risk of developing long Covid, according to a report published Thursday that makes the case for better pandemic treatment and support. Researchers also found that patients with preexisting conditions like asthma, diabetes and even anxiety or depression were more likely to develop long-lasting Covid-19 symptoms.

Lea Michele has a message for fans hoping to see her on Broadway.

Police investigate at Denvers East High School after a shooting there on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) DENVER - A 17-year-old student was found dead in a wooded mountain area outside Denver late Wednesday after authorities say he wounded two administrators in a shooting at his Denver high school where students and parents were already fed up about a rash of recent violence and lack of action by officials.The shooting occurred earlier Wednesday at East High School in Denver, not far from downtown, while two administrators searched Austin Lyle for weapons, a daily requirement because of the boy’s behavioral issues, authorities said.

PHILADELPHIA - Officials say the search for a shooting suspect is ongoing after the individual evaded police and SWAT outside of a West Philadelphia residence. According to police, officers responded to a residence on the 200 block of Farson Street just after 1 a.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Several leaders of opposition political parties in Sri Lanka led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa met with Ambassadors and Delegates representing 12 countries in Colombo on Wednesday (22) evening.According to reports, the objective of the meeting was to discuss the current state of affairs in Sri Lanka.The discussion was mainly focused on Sri Lanka's Democracy, Constitution, and the Local Government Election.The Opposition Leader had requested the foreign missions to extend support to Sri Lanka Internationally.The foreign diplomats who attended the meeting, according to the office of the opposition leader, were:– Sarah Hulton, High Commissioner, High Commission of the United Kingdom in Sri Lanka– Denis Chaibi, Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union in Sri Lanka– Michael Appleton, High Commissioner, New Zealand High Commission in Sri Lanka– Julie J Chung, Ambassador, Embassy of the United States of America in Sri Lanka– Anouk Baron, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Sri Lanka– Dr Francesco Perale, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Italy in Sri Lanka  – Vinod Jacob, Deputy High Commissioner, High Commission of the Republic of India in Sri Lanka– Katsuki Kotaro, Minister/Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka– Lalita Kapur, Deputy High Commissioner, Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka– Aurélien MAILLET, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of France in Sri Lanka– Daniel Blood, Counsellor (Political), High Commission of Canada in Sri Lanka– Ozaki Takeshi, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka.However, in Parliament on Thursday (23), Government Minister Prasanna Ranatunga alleged that the opposition had met with the foreign diplomats to

Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and Covid Appropriate Behaviour are the five-fold strategies to fight Covid-19 as cases go up across the country The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Thursday advised all the states to continue focusing on the 5-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and Covid Appropriate Behaviour to fight Covid-19. The notification stated, "We will do another mock drill to see the COVID-19 preparations.

XBB 1.16 variant could be behind it. However, the country has started taking precautionary measures to prevent a further increase in Covid-19 cases. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held a meeting to review the situation.  Former AIIMS director Dr.

Covid-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.79 per cent, the ministry said. A total 92.06 crore tests for detection of Covid has been conducted so far with 89,078 tests being conducted in the last 24 hours.

Han Dong announced Wednesday night he is leaving the Liberal caucus and will sit as an Independent member of Parliament.His remarks in the House of Commons came hours after Global News reported that Dong privately advised a senior Chinese diplomat in February 2021 that Beijing should hold off freeing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, according to two separate national security sources.“I have informed the prime minister and the leadership of the Liberal Party caucus that I will be sitting as an Independent at the conclusion of these remarks,” he said.“Mr. Speaker, I am in your hands as to what happens next.” Read more: Liberal MP Han Dong secretly advised Chinese diplomat in 2021 to delay freeing Two Michaels: sources Dong emphatically denied the allegations against him in remarks directed both to the House and the families of Kovrig and Spavor, who were detained in China for over three years on allegations of espionage.“The allegations made against me are as false as the ones made against you,” he said, referring to Kovrig and Spavor.“Let me assure you, as a parliamentarian and as a person, I have never and would never advocate or support the violation of the basic human rights of any Canadian — of anyone, anywhere, period.”He broke down in tears as he concluded his remarks by thanking his family.

MP Gamini Lokuge was appointed as Chair of the Committee on Public Petitions on 21.03.2023 at the Committee meeting held in Parliament.Yadamini Gunawardena proposed the name of Gamini Lokuge whilst Jayantha Katagoda seconded it.Addressing the committee, the newly appointed Chairman said that he will pay special attention to cases where the recommendations given earlier by the Committee on Public Petition were not implemented and take further action for that. The chair who recalled that he had previously served as the Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions, which plays a very important role in achieving justice for the public, said that he would dedicate himself to that in the future as well.

China that has been granted for emergency use," wrote CSPC in a statement. According to the company, the vaccine “adopts advanced technology with independent intellectual property rights, with the advantages of achieving higher production capacity, better process reproducibility, large-scale production and scale-up more easily…The Product is stable and can be stored at 2-8°C for a long time." Also Read: China Has a New Vision for Itself: Global Power The new MRNA vaccine comes at a critical time for China, as the country has recently rolled back strict Covid restrictions to stimulate its struggling economy.

PHILADELPHIA - Lingering smoke from a weekend brush fire in Rancocas State Park is still impacting a local school district that has been fully closed since Tuesday.The New Jersey Forest Fire Service deemed the wildfire 100% contained on Sunday night, but by Monday morning students at Westampton Middle School noticed smokey hallways."When you got into the classroom it was like really bad, you could smell it," 7th grade student Madison Dempster said. She recalled many parents picking up their children early from school, and faculty members handing out masks for anyone people who had trouble breathing. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESThe Westampton School District closed some schools on Monday, and then closed the entire district through Thursday. An update from the district on Wednesday said officials are awaiting lab reports from the New Jersey Department of Education before deciding to reopen schools to students and staff. "I've had to work remote, because I had to be home with the kids," James Welcome said.

COVID-19 in the province.It is removing a time-based recommendation for COVID-19 isolation. Instead, the province is advising people to stay home until “you feel better.”The roll-out for additional bivalent booster doses for some Albertans will begin next month.And the province is moving to a rapid antigen-based testing regime, shuttering testing centres in ten days.“Changes to COVID-19 testing and isolation recommendations are coming this spring, as Alberta continues to move to a more sustainable approach to COVID-19,” health ministry spokesperson Scott Johnston said in an email.

SEATTLE - Dozens of boats were destroyed, and a man was arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire near Seattle's Ship Canal Bridge early Wednesday morning.Crews responded to a report of a boat storage facility fire at about 2 a.m. along Northeast Northlake Way.   (Seattle Fire Department)When firefighters arrived, a storage facility with several boats was burning and the warehouse next to it caught on fire. Officials previously stated 42 boats were destroyed, but units at the scene confirmed about 30 boats had burned. Crews quickly extinguished the fire and found no one inside the warehouse.

ARLINGTON, VA - NOVEMBER 23: An American Airlines plane lands at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport November 23, 2021 in Arlington, Virginia. With Covid-19 vaccinations on the rise and Americans now traveling more freely, U.S.

Stephen Smith as a homicide investigation. The teen’s body was found in the middle of a rural road in 2015, about 15 miles (24 km) away from the home of the now-infamous Murdaugh family.Smith’s death was initially ruled a hit-and-run but police reopened the investigation into his death in 2021 while they were looking into the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

MEDIA, Pa. - New Jersey State Police say one of their own is missing and endangered after he was seen walking away from a health facility in Delaware County over the weekend. On March 19, just before 7 p.m., officials say Jason Dare, 46, was seen walking away from a healthy facility in Media, Pa.The Cumberland County man was observed on surveillance video leaving the facility on foot, near Route 352 and Yearsley Road near the Penn State Brandywine Campus.Police describe Dare as 6'0 tall, approximately 180 pounds with tattoos on his neck, arms, and hands. He was reportedly wearing a black Carhart jacket, a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and eyeglasses. Anyone with information is asked to contact the New Jersey State Police at 609-963-6993.

A rare sea turtle was found dead after it washed ashore on an Oregon beach whole ecosystem traveling with the reptile. (TiffanyBoothe/SeasideAquarium) MANZANITA, Ore. - A rare sea turtle was found dead after it washed ashore on an Oregon beach with a whole ecosystem traveling with the reptile.The 75-pound loggerhead was discovered Saturday morning on the south end of Manzanita Beach, according to the Seaside Aquarium,which recovered the animal."After receiving photographs of the turtle, it was clear that the turtle had been dead for quite some time before washing ashore," the aquarium said in a Facebook post.When cleaning its shell, so a positive identification could be made, live gooseneck barnacles, skeleton shrimp and nudibranchs were found.OVER 500 SEA TURTLES RESCUED BY BOSTON AQUARIUMSea turtles are not uncommon along the Oregon coast, and the species usually encountered are Olive Ridleys, according to the aquarium.

TRENTON - New Jersey's statehouse building, part of which dates to the 1700s and was called a fire trap, is once again open after a renovation spanning almost six years and nearly $300 million in taxpayer money.New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and his administration began moving back into the building last week, and work remains to be done on the building's façade.

Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has been hospitalized after he was reportedly attacked by a group of men in a South Florida gym on Tuesday.The rapper’s lawyer, Lance Lazzaro, told celebrity news website TMZ that the artist was inside a sauna at an LA Fitness when he was attacked by three or four men without warning. (Ed.

Ray Garcia holds up a folder to block his face before being sentenced at Oakland federal court. March 22, 2023 OAKLAND, Calif. - A judge on Wednesday sentenced the former head of the Federal Correctional Institute at Dublin tonearly six years behind bars making Ray J. Garcia the first warden in the United States to be sentenced to prison – a place where sexually abused incarcerated women and spent more than 30 years of his career. The exact term is 5 years and 10 months.And for the first time, Garcia, 55, of Merced, held himself accountable for what he did. "I stand before you a broken man," he told U.S.

A Lanarkshire local is set to play the Hard Rock Cafe in Glasgow this weekend to wrap up a month of promoting women’s mental health.

DENVER - Two school administrators were shot at a Denver high school Wednesday morning after a gun was found during a search of a student, authorities said.The juvenile suspect remained at large and the gun was not immediately recovered following the shooting at East High School at about 10 a.m., the Denver Police Department said.One of the administrators was critically injured and the second was in stable condition, Police Chief Ron Thomas said.The victims were taken to area hospitals.A shooting erupted at a Colorado high school on March 22 where so far two adult victims were found, and the unidentified suspect remains on the run, police said.  East High School, not far from downtown near a busy street that cuts through the city, was placed on lockdown as police investigated the shooting.It was unclear if the shooting happened inside or outside the school. Denver Public School confirmed the victims were faculty members.Earlier this month students from the school skipped class and and marched to Colorado’s state Capitol to demand stricter gun laws, following the death of a fellow student who was shot while sitting in a car near school.This is a developing story. Stay with us for updates.

A shooting was reported at a high school in Denver. (Credit: KDVR) DENVER (AP) - Two faculty members were shot at a Denver high school Wednesday morning and the suspect remained at large, authorities said.Officers responded to the shooting at East High School at about 10 a.m., the Denver Police Department said in a social media post.Two adult victims were located and taken to hospitals, and police said the suspect was no longer believed to be on scene.East High School, not far from downtown near a busy street that cuts through the city, was placed on a lockdown as police investigated the shooting.It was unclear if the shooting happened inside or outside the school.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A former soldier shot and killed an active duty member of the U.S.

PTI, "You may see a surge in number of cases" but then they may be underreported as initially people were very concerned and would get themselves tested. "Now even if they have flu-like symptoms, most people don't get themselves tested.

A Ugandan transgender woman who was recently attacked and currently being sheltered watches a TV screen showing the live broadcast of the session from the Parliament for the anti-gay bill, at a local charity supporting the LGBTQ Community near Kampal KAMPALA, Uganda - The United Nations rights chief is urging Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to block an anti-LGBTQ bill that prescribes harsh penalties for some homosexual offenses, including death and life imprisonment."The passing of this discriminatory bill – probably among the worst of its kind in the world – is a deeply troubling development," Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said in a statement Wednesday.Uganda's legislature passed the bill late Tuesday in a protracted plenary session during which last-minute changes were made to the legislation that originally included penalties of up to 10 years in jail for homosexual offenses.RELATED: Pope Francis says homosexuality is a ‘sin,’ but ‘not a crime’In the version passed by lawmakers the offense of "aggravated homosexuality" now carries the death penalty.

Bragg does not choose to indict the former president.Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Hilton Anatole on August 06, 2022 in Dallas, Texas.

COVID-19 care clinic in Kitchener will be closing its doors on Friday.“Care for community members with COVID-19, cold and influenza-like symptoms will transition to family physicians, urgent care clinics, and community pharmacies,” a release from the hospital read. Read more: Waterloo Region expands COVID-19 care clinic, moves it to Kitchener The clinic, which is located on Sportsworld Drive, first opened up last November and was intended to serve patients of all ages for assessment of COVID-19, cold- and influenza-like symptoms.It was also meant to provide some of the services which were being run through area hospitals that had provided 250,000 visits to residents since 2020.

NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday emphasized on the need to monitor the Covid-19 situation in the country on a regular basis and enhance testing of all severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) cases along with ramping up genome sequencing. During a high-level meeting to assess the Covid-19 and Influenza situation in the country in terms of preparedness of health infrastructure, logistics, status of the vaccination campaign, emergence of new Covid-19 variants, Influenza types and their public health implications for the country, Modi advised following respiratory hygiene & adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour.